January 10 - January 12: Agra

We rented a taxi for the day to take us to all the sites in Agra. Our first stop was the Agra Fort where we watched monkeys scale the supposedly impenetrable walls. The taxi then made an unrequested stop at a tile factory. We got to see the gruelling, detailed work that goes into creating each piece. I didn't buy anything but I was really impressed. We did a little more shopping before hitting the Taj Mahal for sunset.


And then there was one. The rest of the group left the on Thursday to head back to the United States. I was having some travelling sickness and we had been moving at a pretty busy pace, so I spent Thursday and Friday in Agra. I walked around the town and saw why taking a taxi is the way to go. When walking, you are more up close to all the garbage and every tourist tout harasses you. I also realized just how common it was for men to go to the bathroom on the streets.

I came across a McDonald's during my wanderings and couldn't resist. But this Micky D's didn't have any beef, instead there was McAloos. The fries were good.

Friday night I took the overnight train second class to Varanasi which was its own adventure.